hello there. it's thursday september 16th, 11:00 a.m. in tokyo. welcome to this edition of "newsline." israeli and palestinian negotiators will continue working toward resolving a dispute over the building of new jewish settlements. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas held talks in jerusalem on wednesday after a meeting in egypt on tuesday. the talks were mediated by u.s. secretary of state hillary

clinton. the major point of contention is the construction of jewish settlements in israeli occupied territories. israel says it will not extend a freeze on building settlements and will resume construction later this month. but the palestinian side insists that it will walk out of the talks if construction is resumed. after the talks u.s. special envoy george mitchell said the two leaders discussed the issue frankly but that no deal has yet been reached. last-minute negotiations will continue among high-ranking officials next week as israel's settlement activities are expected to resume late this month. former pakistani president pervez musharraf says he will form a new party next month in preparation for the national elections scheduled for 2013. >> i am going to declare a party and give my vision for pakistan on the 1st of october. >> musharraf became pakistan's president after taking power in

a 1999 coup. he cooperated in the u.s.-led fight against terrorism launched in the wake of the september 11th terrorist attacks. musharraf came under growing criticism, growing public criticism for his hard-line approach in running his government. a crushing defeat in the 2008 general elections forced him to step down. now, whether musharraf can stage a political comeback is still unclear as the ruling party and largest opposition party have taken critical stances against him. the chinese government has given tacit approval to taiwan's protests against japan over the senkaku islands in the east china sea. on monday a fishing boat carrying two taiwanese activists headed toward the islands to protest japan's handling of an incident in which a chinese trawler rammed into japanese patrol boats in the area. japan arrested the trawler's captain on wednesday last week. it also detained the vessel and

its 14 remaining crew members for questioning and inspection. the activists' boat returned to taiwan on tuesday, after japanese patrol boats warned it not to enter japanese waters. on wednesday a spokesperson for china's taiwan affairs office expressed understanding of the activists' protest. >> more and more chinese have been expressing support on the internet for the actions of the taiwanese boat. observers say china is likely to exploit growing anger in taiwan to intensify pressure on japan. meanwhile, japanese nationals living in china are being warned of growing local protests over japan's handling of the incident. messages online are calling for large-scale anti-japan demonstrations in beijing and other cities on saturday. the day marks the 79th anniversary of a railway

explosion in manchuria that led to japan's invasion of china. the internet postings prompted two japanese schools in beijing and tianjin to postpone until next month their sports days that had been scheduled for saturday. the school in tianjin was vandalized, and windows were broken on sunday. the japanese embassy in beijing has posted advice on its website, urging japanese nationals to keep a low profile in crowded public places and to refrain from making noise in japanese-only groups. welcome back to "newsline" business. the yen was finally weakening after the government and the bank of japan moved against the yen. their $24 billion intervention hit foreign exchange markets on wednesday. japan's move came after the dollar dropped to the 82-yen range for the first time in about 15 years on wednesday.

the sell-off began in tokyo and carried over into london and new york. at one point the dollar strengthened to the upper 85-yen level in new york on wednesday. that's the highest since the end of august. the dollar rose about 2.5 yen in a single day. >> that was quite substantial, caught the market a little bit by surprise. >> sources say it's unusual for authorities to use a large amount of money in one day to buy the dollar. usually, the bank of japan tries to recover the funds they used shortly after the intervention to avoid rapid fluctuation of yen-denominated funds, but this time the central bank will leave the funds in the market as a way to further ease credit. the boj says that promoting an easy monetary policy like this will help weaken the yen and bolster the economy. meanwhile, former u.s. federal reserve chairman alan

greenspan says japan's move to weaken the yen won't last. in a speech in new york on wednesday greenspan said unilateral intervention in foreign currency markets is a temporary measure. >> there is a global market that arbitrages out there, so that i think that intervention is -- never works. >> he said the yen is sold as a safe haven currency because there's strong demand for japanese government bonds among domestic investors, so in effect most of the government debt is absorbed in domestic markets. greenspan warned that japan's huge government deficits could lead to higher interest rates in the future and pose a serious fiscal problem. let's check currencies. the dollar's hovering around a narrow range against the yen on thursday morning. investors are waiting to see if japan's monetary authorities will continue to intervene in foreign exchange markets. currently, the dollar is at

85.43-48 yen. the euro is currently at 11.09-13. while the yaeker yen is giving tokyo stocks a slight boost but profit-taking capped the gains. the nikkei average ended the morning session at 9,544, up 0.3% from wednesday's close. sources say the yen's fall and wall street's gains overnight encouraged investors to buy export-related stocks. here's a look at the latest long-term interest rates. this is the yield on the benchmark ten-year japanese government bond. in other asian markets, hong kong's hang seng is currently down .25%. the shanghai key index for major blue chips is down 0.4%. and in shenzhen the sse composite is also down half a percent. the u.s. government has filed complaints against china at the world trade organization. they claim china protects its financial services market from

competition and criticized its tariffs on steel products. the u.s. commerce department submitted their cases to the wto on wednesday. the u.s. claims china lets domestic firms operate a virtual monopoly in financial services like electronic processing of credit card payments. that's despite china's promise four years ago to open up the market to foreign companies. the other case targets china's additional tariffs on some steel exports, which beijing says prevents foreign steelmakers from dumping cheaper products on the mainland. the u.s. says the terrorists are blocking their steel exports to china. the two sides will hold talks for 60 days. if they fail to reach an agreement, the wto will handle the dispute. sources say the move comes as washington tries to take a tougher stance against beijing ahead of the u.s. midterm congressional elections in november. the hong kong film industry has been in a slow decline ever

since its heydays in the '80s. almost all related businesses have been shrinking. but one segment of moviemaking is still going strong. >> darn it! uh. all right, how's this? >> all right! >> reporter: in this small studio in hong kong celebrities in narration are making every effort to match their voices with the characters on the screen. >> your dreams come true. >> reporter: many kinds of movies, from japanese tv series to recent hollywood big hits, were all dubbed by talent in hong kong. this company started six years ago with only five people. now the number has grown to 50 and the business already runs the office area next door to build three new studios. >> hong kong's a global city, right? international city. and there are a lot of different people here, working here or passing through. and from them i can always pick

up any languages, any accents. >> reporter: good quality but at a budget price is perhaps hong kong's biggest selling point. although the market price for dubbing a 30-minute english or japanese language drama into cantonese is around $1,500 to $2,000, that's nothing compared to the cost in the u.s. >> the wages level here is still way below what they charge in the states. so it's natural that people go to a place where it's cheaper. so since they are outsourcing all the manufacturing to china, they're outsourcing some of the dubbing to us here in hong kong. >> reporter: perhaps one of the best-known mainland animation series is placid goat and the big big wolf. this was also dubbed in hong kong for its english language version. when the movie was first released, it made over 90 million yuan at the box office

in 2009. that's a milestone for chinese animation. >> you're not sure? >> reporter: the state council of china issued a document in 2006 to promote the country's animation production. in 2009 a total of 322 animations were made in the country's 21 provinces. experts expect the figure to keep going up in the future, and hong kong will benefit. lee qowi an expert on mainland and hong kong relations says mainland demands on the hong kong industry. >> we have a pool of experience. and that will be very useful when the industries from china to come to pick it up and see what happens in hong kong here. so in a sense we do provide a sort of a comprehensive picture, a comprehensive service to these industries in china. >> reporter: but the current

success of the dubbing industry is also another case where hong kong's leadership may be challenged soon. lee warns that when the mainland's own dubbing industry expands it will be a threat to the industry in hong kong. >> i think there's always a dilemma in the sense that being a reference point, meaning that we are better off than they are at the moment, but over time if they have learned from us then the fear is that, well, they will pick it up so quickly and that they will excel and then they will become better than us. what we in hong kong have to do is to ensure that we're also doing our own job. we have to expand our services, we have to deepen our skills, we have to upgrade our qualities. now, if that take place, in other words, so long as we are one step ahead of china industries, then they will look to hong kong for references all the time. >> reporter: it seems that the thriving mainland animation industry is a double-edged sword for hong kong players. although it's still too early to

say that the hong kong firms will be replaced by their mainland counterparts. they must never forget that the risks may be just around the corner. next is a recap of the latest market figures. ♪ ♪ sfoet ♪ ♪ and that's all for now in biz news.

maps of crime hot spots and security cameras along school routes are just two of the techniques employed by japan's local governments and police forces to protect children from crime. next we see how transit officials in fukuoka city use everyday technology to keep children safe. >> reporter: many train passengers have been paying for their rides with a smart card. but this card is also being used to protect children from crimes and accidents. they've named the system guardian touch. the process begins with smart card passes. they hold the same technology as train passes. when registered users tap their

card on a designated terminal, it automatically notifies the server. immediately it sends an e-mail to parents letting them know exactly where their children are. >> translator: one thing you should know about these smart cards, they have quite a few functions. we began the service because as a public transportation provider we wanted to give our customers and the children peace of mind. >> reporter: the fukuoka city transportation bureau hopes the system spreads beyond children who use the subway to other children as well. right now guardian touch operates at 48 facilities within the city limits, including the main library and the public pool. four elementary schools have also signed on.

kotaro and ayane sakata study at an elementary school that has a terminal. when the children arrive or leave school, they tap the terminal. guardian touch swings into action, letting their mother know they arrived safely at school and when they're on their way home. >> translator: it lets my mom know i got to school safely. and when i leave school, she knows that i will be back home in 20 minutes. >> reporter: this is the children's mother, fumiko. >> translator: here is the e-mail i received this morning. it shows that they got to school safely and on time.

>> reporter: fumiko worries about the safety of her children at times when neither the school nor their parents can monitor them. so she signed up for the guardian touch system. >> translator: some parents like their kids to use cell phones in emergencies. but they're expensive to replace if they break or get lost. however, with this system all you need is a card. if the kids lose it, they can easily replace it. also, it's convenient for little children to carry the cards wherever they go. >> reporter: many parents like the system so much they want it available in more elementary schools and for other kinds of transportation besides subway stations. installing more terminals will help relieve parents' worries

about the safety of their children. the japanese supreme court has rejected an appeal for a retrial for the founder of the aum shinrikyo religious cult. shoko asahara was sentenced to death in 2004. asahara, whose real name is chizuo matsumoto, was found guilty of masterminding a series of crimes including the 1995 sarin gas attack on the tokyo subway system. in 2006 the court finalized his death penalty after his counsel failed to meet the deadline for submitting documents. his family then filed a re-trial request saying he didn't order the crimes to be carried out. the tokyo district and high courts dismissed the appeal, ruling there was no doubt that asahara was the mastermind. the supreme court said the petition lacked sufficient

reasons for making an appeal. a total of 13 members of the cult have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the crimes. japanese police say they plan to arrest a trader on suspicion of illegally exporting pianos to north korea in defiance of u.n. anti-nuclear sanctions. police say they have obtained an arrest warrant for the president of hiroshima-based trading house saprider trading on suspicion of illegally shipping 22 pianos from a port in kobe to north korea via dalian, china in 2008. pianos are on a no shipping list as part of the u.n. sanctions imposed on north korea following its nuclear test in 2006. the list includes luxury goods as well as machines alterable to weapons of mass destruction. in june of last year the japanese government imposed a unilateral sanction against the north by banning the shipment of

all the items on the u.n. list. police say the company allegedly shipped pianos after the government made such exports illegal. they say they will arrest the trader on thursday after gathering enough evidence during a search on the company in april. north korea has not yet confirmed the opening of a historic meeting of its ruling workers' party despite an earlier announcement that the event would be held. the country announced in june that it would hold the first delegates conference in 44 years in early september. state-run media also reported on september 6th that delegates from across the country were coming to the capital, pyongyang. but the ruling party's official newspaper, "rodong sinmun," was still using phrases such as "before the meeting of delegates" as of wednesday. some diplomatic sources believe that floods caused by typhoon compakompasu earlier this month have affected the conference's opening. others cite the poor health of leader kim jong il as a factor.

at the conference the ruling party is expected to name its new leadership in preparation for the transfer of power from kim to his successor. attention is focused on whether kim's youngest son, kim jong un, will take over from his father. former u.s. president jimmy carter says north korean officials told him that they would only release a u.s. citizen if he came to get the captive himself. during a lecture in the u.s. state of georgia on tuesday, carter said his visit to pyongyang in late august which won the release of aijalon gomes was at the request of north korea. gomes had been held since january, accused of illegally entering the secretive state. >> and they said that they would not let him go to anyone except me. obviously, they wanted me to come back over there. >> reporter: carter added it took him five weeks to get permission from the white house

and state department before making the private trip to free gomes. carter said he hopes his recent visit to north korea will help restart the six-party talks on the country's nuclear program. an international fair has been held in thailand showcasing renewable energy technologies. the event in bangkok, sponsored by thailand's private sector, attracted company and government officials from about 30 countries and territories. more than 120 companies set up booths. a company from taiwan exhibited a generator that can make use of winds blowing from any direction. a thai firm displayed greenhouses equipped with solar power generators. the exhibits also included the latest solar power -- or solar panel technology of a japanese company. the thai government aims to triple the use of renewable energy to cover 20% of the coun consumption over the next 12 years. >> continue international

collaboration between the public and private sector on product development. >> reporter: the thai energy minister called on foreign companies to invest in the energy market in his country. hi there, and welcome back to your world weather update. now, east asia is keeping an eye on this cluster of clouds here. this will be our tropical storm. it did form in the overnight hours. and now it's really showing signs of strengthening. now it's a severe tropical storm status. winds are at 90 kilometers per hour, gusts much, much higher. and it looks like it's going to be strengthening even more over the next couple of days. so rapid intenseification xwpd and still not moving a whole lot. so it's at a slow pace heading in a northerly direction at the moment likely veering toward the west over the next few days and then heading in toward taiwan

and then the southeast coast of china. so you really need to keep an eye on the storm system and keep your eye on the region. you will need to expect stronger winds as well as that heavy rainfall. now, japan today looking pretty wet, too. central sections are looking at this low pressure system that's producing quite a bit of steady rainfall. some really heavy rains falling across tokyo this morning too. northeastern china as well. this rain band here just about stalled out for now, really impacting areas. with a couple areas picking up some pretty isolated heavy amounts of rainfall. as for highs today, 23 in tokyo. a rainy day and it's going to be quite cool. sunshine for seoul at 30 degrees. a little bit higher toward the south. 32 in hong kong. and even 37 degrees for chongqing. now, across the americas, mexico also dealing with a very strong storm system. tropical storm carl is working its way across the yucatan peninsula. now, not a particularly large

storm system and not too strong either, but it did bring some pretty stormy conditions to the coast of cancun -- or rather the yucatan on wednesday when it made landfall. here's a look at the beaches in cancun. strong waves and some pretty strong winds, too, you can see here. rainfall not looking too bad at the moment, but it did keep tourists out of the waters. hopefully, aw little better weather today, or rather thursday will allow for some beach time. once that system heads back into the gulf of mexico, we're expecting it to strengthen and intensify into a hurricane possibly before impacting the northeastern parts of mexico. so mexico looking at a second landfall in the days to come. we'll need to keep a close eye on its progress. plenty of rainfall too you will need to watch out for. meanwhile, two strong major hurricanes. pretty rare event. hurricane julia remains well out at sea.

it was rapidly intensifying. right now it's down to a category 3 system. hurricane igor very large. remains a category 3 hurricane. it looks like it might be getting very close to bermuda. so we need to keep an eye on this progress as well. for the americas severe storms may impact parts of the plains tonight. there are tornado watches in effect for those of you here. warm weather looks like it will move through the midwest into the mid-atlantic states. looks pretty cool for canada today. 14 degrees only from your high in winnipeg. and remaining at 17 in vancouver as well. all right. that's a look at your weather right now, and here is your three-day outlook. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in

tokyo. thanks very much for joining us. we'll be back at the top of the next hour. see you then.